The influence of cross-winds on the performance of natural draft dry-cooling towers.

The effect of cross-winds on the performance of natural draft dry-cooling towers is studied by
means of isothermal model tests, a numerical simulation and full scale measurements. The
action of the wind on such towers is found to be complex and is influenced by a number of
different parameters including the wind speed, the shape of the approaching wind profile, the
inlet diameter to the inlet height ratio of the tower, the tower height, the shape of the tower
shell, the pressure loss coefficient of the heat exchangers and the amount of heat rejected by the
tower. For a horizontal arrangement of the heat exchangers the wind effect on the tower is
shown to be strongly dependent on both the shape and pressure loss coefficient of the tower
supports.
In practical cooling towers the heat exchangers are either arranged horizontally in the inlet
cross-section of the tower or vertically around the circumference of the tower and the wind
effect is found to be dependent on the particular layout. The wind effect on a tower is
furthermore found to increase if the heat exchangers are arranged in the form of A-frames.
Additional reductions in the heat rejection rate of the tower are caused by a non-uniform air
temperature distribution inside the tower and flow distortions through the heat exchanger.
Significant reductions in the wind effect on a cooling tower can be achieved by installing
windbreak walls below the heat exchangers if the latter are arranged horizontally in the tower
inlet.